Re: Booting to another OS on a Separate HDD

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Anna wrote:
"W. eWatson" <notvalid2@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:hMqel.14429$YU2.5251@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
If I want to create a removable (tray or USB drive) HDD to another OS, how do I do that with my XP machine? Further how do I boot from one to the other?
--
W. eWatson

(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 feet

Web Page: <www.speckledwithstars.net/>


Lil' Dave wrote...
Depends on your bios, any onboard interface, any add-on card interface capabilities for true booting from a hard drive other than the onboard hard drive you normally boot from. Its all hardware and bios capability related.

Capability of an OS within the hardware you have on your PC is another matter in itself. Description as an "XP machine" is a very broad term. An unknown OS booting from that is not known possible based on that data of an unknown OS and a broad spectrum of hardware that XP can operated on.

Boot managers that use software manipulation to select the bootable device and/or bootable partition are another matter entirely. And, in the discussion of that within this thread, does not address your question at all.


Terry R. wrote:
Hi Dave,

Other than WW figuring out his "removable drive" issue, why does suggesting a boot manager not address his question? I have separate drives with 5 OS's on them and use a boot manager. Works perfectly.


Terry R.


"W. eWatson" <notvalid2@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:uvJel.9472$pr6.3867@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Let me give a few more details. I have a removable tray that I can use. My interest is putting Linux on it. I have vague memories that if I wanted to install, say, Win98 (I don't!!) on the removable the install process would ask me what HDD I want it on. The same may be true of Linux. I don't see how BIOS comes into play here.

--
W. eWatson


W. eWatson...
First of all let me say I'm quite unfamiliar with the Linux OS having worked with it only a very few times in the past. I don't think my lack of familiarity with that OS matters re my following comments but I wanted to mention this just in case it would have some impact on your situation.

Using a mobile rack to house a removable HDD would seem to me an excellent idea in your objective of creating a simple & straightforward process to boot to different OSs. But I'm not entirely clear as to the precise hardware configuration you have in mind.

First of all you mention a "removable (tray or USB drive) HDD". These are quite different types of configurations. I'm going to assume that you would be considering a removable HDD contained in a mobile rack that's affixed to a vacant 5 1/4" bay on your desktop machine. I don't think you want to set up the kind of dual-booting system you have in mind using a USB external HDD (if that's what you meant when you referred to a "USB drive").

The system considers a removable HDD as an *internal* HDD. I'm assuming you would be working with two HDDs - an internally-installed HDD and the removable HDD. On one of those HDDs would be installed the XP OS; on the other HDD the Linux OS. So that you could easily boot to whatever OS you want. And the OSs would be physically/electronically separated from each other.

Alternatively, you could use a removable HDD and have two separate trays (caddies) one being used to house the XP OS, the other housing the Linux OS.

If you want I could provide you with more details re this type of hardware configuration, however, before doing so you should provide more details re the kind of system you'll be working with.

Are these PATA or SATA HDDs?
I assume there's an internally-mounted HDD in your present system, right?
And you do have a vacant 5 1/4" bay to house the mobile rack, yes?

I trust I haven't misunderstood your objective.
Anna



It's a removable tray for an IDE HDD. Yes, 5 1/4". Terry's post above yours suggests this is pretty easy stuff.

--
W. eWatson

(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 feet

Web Page: <www.speckledwithstars.net/>

.

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